Rise of the Deceased
by Pres.Vanellope-Von-Schweetz
Summary: Post-Movie. It's been two years since Turbo died. At least that's what everybody thinks. But Turbo is far from done with the "Glitch". He's hungry for revenge, and he'll kill anyone who gets in his way. Even his own son. OC's included. Pairings: Vanellope/Rancis
1. Vanellope's Nightmare

**(Hey, everyone! This is my Wreck-It Ralph 2 story. I decided to get this up tonight, so I wouldn't forget about it tomorrow morning. Please review! Constructive criticism is always appreciated!)**

Someone was chasing me with the intent to kill me. My heart was racing, and I was gasping for breath, my chest tight and legs feeling heavy as I attempted to escape. It was becoming grossly obvious that I wasn't going to get away. Sooner or later, I would be caught, and then my time would come.

"Vanellope…" the silhouetted figure taunted.

I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the voice, but it wouldn't quiet.

"Vanellope…!" the person repeated. What could I possibly have done to deserve this?

The voice kept saying my name, over and over again. I tried covering my ears with my hands, but that only seemed to make the drone louder. What frightened me the most, though, was that I recognized the voice, yet couldn't quite place it…

Building exhaustion be damned, I forced myself to keep going. I was mere feet from the castle, and although terror still coursed through my veins with each frantic heartbeat, I allowed myself to have hope. It was right there…so close—!

And then, just when I could practically feel the smooth texture of the candy-door beneath my fingers, my legs finally gave out, and I crashed to the ground with a loud and painful _thud!_ Half-rolling over, I looked down at myself to find severe bruises and steadily-bleeding wounds covering my lower body. _Wonderful_…!

Suddenly, a huge shadow swallowed my tiny frame, and I whipped around. Who I saw nearly made my eyes bug out of my head.

"_T-Turbo_! Is that _you_?" I asked, shock paralyzing me. "But you're s-supposed to be _dead_!"

An evil smirk came to his face, and as he lifted a hand, something glinted brightly in the moonlight. I dared to look closer and instantly regretted it as a large lump formed in my throat. Why did it have to be a knife?

"That's what _everyone_ thinks," he taunted, "and that's why _I _need to get rid of _you_!"

He raised the knife higher, and I could only stare in shock as tears filled my eyes. At that moment, I had but one question running through my mind: _where was Ralph_?

It was at this point that I woke mid-scream, trembling and drenched in a cold sweat.

Looking around, I realized I was still in my bedroom in Sugar Rush castle, completely unharmed and safe. I was breathing easier by the time Sour Bill burst through the door seconds later.

"Miss von Schweetz, are you alright?" he inquired in his usual deadpan.

"I'm fine, Bill," I assured him. "It was just a bad dream." He didn't do or say anything else, but he didn't leave either, and after another few moments, I smiled minutely. "Go back to sleep, Bill. I'll be fine. Thanks for coming to check on me."

He mock-bowed—"Madame President."—which made me smile further before walking out and shutting the door quietly behind him. I rolled onto my side and covered my head with my thick comforter.

Turbo had been dead for two years, so why would I suddenly have a nightmare about him trying to kill me? Granted, that had been his life's work, but still... None of it made any sense.

And yet…what if my dream were right and Turbo _were_ back? Logically, I knew that was impossible. Felix and Tamora _saw_ him die! If he'd been resurrected, I would feel it in my code, and all the games would be glitching something major!

I was just being paranoid. That's all. Everything would be just fine...

From a distance, a certain game-jumper and young man gazed upon the castle.

"Can we get her now?" the boy queried eagerly.

"Stop jumping ahead!" the older male beside him admonished. "Wait until she trusts you, Luke, and this plan will be foolproof!" He peered up at the sky, expression malevolent. "I highly doubt that Warthog-Ralph friend of hers will be able to get her out of _this_!"


	2. Confrontation

**Alright, I am back with a new chapter! Here's my plan: write around five chapters today, then post one chapter per day over the next several days!**

**I hope you guys like this! Remember, this is post-movie, so if you haven't seen it yet, don't read unless you like spoilers! Constructive criticism is always welcome.**

**Also, I have a beta now! Her name is Shizuku Tsukishima749, and she's a veteran on this site – in May, she'll have been here for six years! She's edited this entire fic so far and will continue that streak with any and all future chapters!**

The next day, I couldn't concentrate on anything but the nightmare, and it was noticeable to everyone, even the players. At one point, by no fault of the player's driving, I was so distracted that I nearly had a nasty collision with Candlehead.

_Focus, Vanellope! _I inwardly scolded. _You'll get Sugar Rush unplugged if you keep messing up!_

Still, nothing worked. Not singing to myself or thinking of Ralph or even my best friend, Rancis. Day after day, it was the same. Turbo was the only thing I could think about anymore. I just couldn't figure out why he would be the source of my nightmares, and yet I felt the need to know exactly what they were trying to tell me.

Today, the Lemon Drop-Sun would drop behind the Snowcap-mountains in three…two…one…_closing time_! Just like I had the last several days at this time, I leaped from my kart and sprinted straight for the castle, ignoring Candlehead, Taffyta, Rancis, and the others' worried calls. Nobody could be allowed even a moment to ask about my uncharacteristic behavior or the increasingly darkening circles under my eyes and paleness of my skin. That would inevitably lead to the spilling of my nightmare and growing suspicion that Turbo was alive, which could ruin things for the entire arcade.

I breathed a little easier when I finally stepped foot inside the castle. Making a beeline for my room and locking the door behind me, I started pacing the length of the floor almost immediately, filled to the brim with anxiety and overflowing with fear.

There was no way I could keep this hidden forever. I could tell Ralph, but then he would undoubtedly tell Felix, who would relay it to Tamora, and from there the bordering-true rumor of Turbo's return would run rampant. But on the other hand, if I didn't tell him, I'd most likely get Sugar Rush unplugged…

I continued in this train until there was a knock at my door. I froze, eyes wide, and my head shot up. "Yes?"

"Miss von Schweetz," Sour Bill drawled flatly, "you have a visitor."

"I'm not accepting any visitors right now, Bill."

"It's Ralph, Miss."

I sighed tiredly, but a small smile came to my face nonetheless. "Alright. Let him in."

Numerous keys jingled on the other side of the door, and a second later the door swung open to reveal the nine-foot wrecker.

"Hey, kiddo!" he greeted brightly, lifting me off the ground into a bone-crushing hug. I was almost as tall as Calhoun now that I was older, but Ralph still had to mind my body's limitations: one of which was surviving the especially tight embraces of a human wrecking ball.

"Ralph!" I squeaked weakly, face practically flush against his chest. "Can't…breathe!"

"Oops! Sorry!" He released me right away, and I fell back on the bed, gasping for air. When I got most of my breath back, I nodded dismissively, and he sat down next to me with a smile. "So, how're things going, President Booger-Brain?"

I laughed slightly at the nickname and tucked some stray hair behind my ear shakily. My head was telling me to tell him the truth…but apparently my mouth didn't want to listen. I lied straight through my teeth and just prayed he'd believe me. "Everything's fine! Just…peachy!"

But I fell short, and Ralph saw right through me. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and looked over my every feature. I held my breath subconsciously as he did so, stupidly giving him even more reason to suspect something was up. "Are you sure, kid? You don't look all right, and you're acting kinda strange."

"What?" I asked, trying my hand at playing innocent. As it turned out, I was terrible. "You really think I'd lie to you, Ralph?" Those last eight words spelled out my fate, and I knew it would be best to just come clean with him. "Okay, okay! But if…if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell _anybody_! Not Felix or Calhoun or _anyone_!"

His expression quickly morphed into one of protective unease. "Vanellope, what's wrong?"

I sighed, peering down at my partially-clenched fists in a split-second effort to gather my thoughts. _No going back now_, I thought. _He's going to freak…_

Gulping away most of my inhibitions, I sat up straighter, squared my shoulders, and looked him in the eyes.

"Ralph…I think…"

**I'm typing the second chapter now, but I want to know your thoughts on this first one, so R & R, please!**


	3. The Truth

**A/N: Aloha, readers! Here goes the second chapter of Rise of the Deceased! I'm really enjoying writing this, and I'm really happy that all of my readers love it, too!**

* * *

I couldn't help it. I was panicking. How was I supposed to tell him? 'I think Turbo might be back from the dead?' That stuff only happens in _Resident Evil 5_! He'll think I'm crazy for sure! But it's too late to stop now. His forehead's winkling even more, and he's entering the Worried 'Danger Zone'…!

"You're never quiet _this_ long unless it's somethin' _really_ big," he comments abruptly, and I have to stop myself from flinching at his quiet, caring voice. "You can tell me, kid. Whatever it is, we'll figure somethin' out together."

Oh, no… It was obvious that he was expecting something dras—w_ait_! Maybe that was it!

"Well, Ralph, it's just that…" I sigh heavily, "…I don't think I can race anymore..."

Yeah… Great idea, Vanellope… So much for not lying to him…

At first, he didn't seem to know how to react. But then, given a second to process what I'd said, his eyes widened. "_What_?! What do you mean you can't race?!"

I dared look him straight in the eye. "I just can't take anymore, Ralph! I'm getting older every day, and I-I want to be able to have a _life_! I can't do that if I'm a racer! It's just becoming too much for me!"

Alright, so that wasn't a total lie. I had been thinking about that a lot lately...but I'd never considered bringing it up with Ralph…

Speaking of which, the big guy's expression was pitiful, his big, molten-chocolate eyes in particular. Like all the other characters in the arcade (barring me due to a coding update), Ralph was an adult in mind and heart, but not in body…so really, it wasn't hard to see why this semi-faux revelation would hurt him.

"But your life_ is _racing, Vanellope! It's _literally _in your code! And there's _nothing_ wrong with that!" he pressed, gazing into my eyes for a long moment before sighing and rubbing his forehead with his hand. When he spoke again, he wore a small frown. "Besides…I _really_ don't want you going Turbo like…like I did…"

_What? But why would I go Turbo?_

_**Actions speak louder than words, Vanellope, and with the way you're acting…**_

_I wouldn't do _that_! I just said I wanted a life, and racing was—! Oh, shut up, conscience!_

It was my turn to sigh. I couldn't lie to him. My half-lie had already dredged up more heartache than I'd intended. I had to fix it, and the only way to do that was to come clean.

I lay a hand on my best friend's shoulder, reaching over to cup his cheek and gently turn his head so he was looking at me.

"Ralph...I would n_ever _go Turbo. You have to know that," I began, and he nodded, a smile ghosting across his face. I did my best to smile back, but it was just as feeble as his. Sitting on the balls of my feet, I bit my lip and concentrated on my nervously-twiddling thumbs. "But…I _did_ sort of lie. Racing restricting my freedom is something I've been thinking about for a while now, but it's not the _real_ problem…"

He kept his eyes fixed on me without a word, the worry in his eyes winning out against the hurt.

_**You have to tell him the truth!**_

_Didn't I tell you to be quiet?_

I closed my eyes so tightly it hurt, praying that all of this was just a really bad dream. But when I opened them again, everything was still the same, still here, still _real_, and I knew I couldn't run from this any longer. My eyes locked with Ralph's.

"I think Turbo might be back."

* * *

From the President's windowsill, a young male and a shadowed figure watched the scene play out.

"_Dad_!" the teen whined. "When can we go after her? I'm really getting tired of waiting around!"

"Like I've told you a _million times_, Luke, there are two criteria that must be met: the arcade has to be closed, and she has to be _alone_!" His son gave him a blank look, and the man sighed, face-palming. Through gritted teeth, he simplified, "_When Ralph leaves_."

"Oh. Well, good!" Luke replied. "But I do have one more question."

"And that would be?"

"What was the point of hiding on this ledge?"

* * *

**I hope you liked this! I'm typing up chapter three right now, it'll be betaed right after it's posted, which should be later today!**

**For those of you who're curious, Luke's father's identity will be revealed in the fifth or sixth chapter!**

**And without further ado, please review!**


	4. Ralph's Reaction

So far, Ralph had been silent for five minutes and thirty-one seconds. I waved my hand in front of his face. "Um...Ralph...?"

That seemed to do the trick. His stormy eyes cleared, he sat up straighter, and looked me in the eye.

"Vanellope," he swallowed thickly, "are you sure?"

"Ralph, I said 'I think' and 'might be,'" I reminded, teasing him a little to try to lighten the mood. "I don't know for sure. What made me worry in the first place was this dre—_nightmare _I had."

He seemed to want to know more, so I told him everything I could about my night terror. I just hoped that Ralph wouldn't insist on being my bodyguard for the next few days. Knowing how protective he could be, I knew the idea wasn't too outrageous.

When I finished, he asked anxiously, "W-why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was afraid you'd tell Felix, then he'd tell Tamora, and—I didn't want to start a rumor if there's no truth to it, Ralph!"

The big guy hummed, the single note weary, and wrapped an arm around me.

"Vanellope, I know you said not to tell anyone, and I won't. But how many dr—_nightmares _like this have you had?"

"Just one," I answered, my voice a little shaky.

"If you have any more, you need to tell me. Promise."

"Ralph, I—"

"_Promise_."

I exhaled roughly through my nose. "Fine, I promise. But I don't think I will."

He smirked, eyes daring to twinkle. "Just tell me if you do, Crumb Snatcher."

/_*_*_*_\

Remember when I said I didn't think I'd be having any more nightmares?

Boy, was I wrong…

/_*_*_*_\

_This time, I wasn't being chased. I was locked up in the fungeon, trembling in fear. The chains on my wrists and ankles seemed to get tighter every minute, and dehydration and blood loss were taking their tolls. With every move I made, unbearable pain shot through me._

_I didn't even look like myself, like a _human_, anymore. I was a broken soul, inside and out.___

_Turbo was the one who put me in here. He treated me like something I wasn't. A waste of space, a mistake.___

_A glitch.___

_I'd already tried glitching free a thousand times before resigning myself to the fact that the chains were glitch-proof. Knowing that only made me more terrified, so it was no surprise when tears began to fall from my eyes and didn't stop. I couldn't even scream for help. I'd screamed so much during Turbo's torture session that my voice was hoarse and my throat was killing me.___

_I snapped up when I heard footsteps approaching. When the door to my cell opened, I cringed and curled up in a ball, but uncurled and let down the smallest portion of my guard when I saw it was a brunette boy with chocolate-brown eyes. I didn't know him.___

_"Well, well..." he singsonged. "I finally get to see you up close."___

_My voice was barely a whisper. "W-who are you?"___

_"You know my dad," he replied, walking in a circle around me, observing my every move. "He really knows how to get back at his enemies."___

_My eyes darted to the floor when he placed a hand on my back, sending a chill down my spine.___

_"If you're going to hurt me, just get it over with."_

_"Oh, I'm not going to hurt you. I'll have you know I'm the good kid in the family. No, I'm going to do you a favor." He reached toward me, and in a few swift movements I barely saw, the shackles _shinked!_ to the floor. I rubbed my red, starting-to-bleed wrists, and then peered up at him with mystified-narrowed eyes, more than effectively thrown. "Now, you'd better go before my Father comes back."___

_He planted a kiss on my forehead and pushed me toward the door, and I bolted without looking back. He yelled something just as I started running, but I couldn't make out what it was.___

_It was only then that everything started to fade into nothingness, and I eagerly, gratefully, with open arms, welcomed the waking world._


End file.
